Gamecocks fall 9-3 to Vanderbilt

NASHVILLE, TENN. – A four-run first inning and a four-run
fifth inning helped lead ninth ranked Vanderbilt to a 9-3 win over eighth
ranked South Carolina on Friday evening at Hawkins Field. Vanderbilt is now 40-15 and 17-12 in the SEC
with the Gamecocks now 41-14 and 17-12 in league play. The rubber game of the series is scheduled
for Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. It will be
televised live on CBS Sports Network and can be heard on the Gamecock IMG
Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, "The Game."

Vanderbilt starter Carson Fulmer earned the win and is
now 5-1 on the year. He worked 5.2
innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with six walks and four
strikeouts. Gamecock starter Jack
Wynkoop suffered the loss and is 7-4 on the year. He allowed seven runs on nine
hits in 4.2 innings of work with no walks and three strikeouts.

Vanderbilt batted around in the first inning to take a
4-0 lead. Dansby Swanson reached base to
open the frame on a hit by pitch and Xavier Turner singled to put runners on
the corners. With one out, Zander Wiel
would knock a base hit into left field scoring Swanson. After a base hit by Vince Conde loaded the
bases, John Norwood would single up the middle to score two more runs. Rhett Wiseman followed with a RBI base hit as
well to give the Commodores a four-run lead.

South Carolina would cut the deficit to three runs in the
top of the second. Grayson Greiner
belted a leadoff single and advanced to second on a balk. Carolina would then benefit from Fulmer
struggling with his control as he walked three consecutive batters. Tanner English, Taylor Widener and Patrick
Harrington all drew two-out walks with Greiner scoring on Harrington's walk.

South Carolina would add another run in the fifth
inning. Gene Cone singled up the middle
with Kyle Martin singling down the right field line to put runners on the
corners. Cone would score on fielder's
choice by Greiner to bring the Gamecocks within a pair of runs.

The Commodores scored four more in the bottom of the
fifth to extend the lead to 8-3. A one-out single by Bryan Reynolds was
followed up by a two-run homer by Zander Wiel, his fifth of the season. John Norwood would add a two-out double and score
on Rhett Wiseman's triple off the wall in right field. Karl Ellison's infield single would score
Wiseman and account for the fourth run of the inning. Reynolds would drive in a
run in the sixth to close out the scoring for the Commodores.

"We got it to 4-2 there in the fifth and we had our
chances against Fulmer," said South Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook. "I have no problem with the way we competed
against a real good pitcher. I didn't
get a chance to play or coach against Roger Clemens but I imagine that's pretty
close to what he used to do as far as his stuff. We had a good approach against him and we
just couldn't get the real big hit. We
were going to have to win that game 3-2, 4-3.
We didn't get the pitching performance we needed, but that's okay, Jack
has been very consistent this year and I'm sure he will bounce back."

Vanderbilt had 13 hits with the Gamecocks finishing with
10 for the evening. Kyle Martin tied a
career-high in hits with a 4-for-5 day at the plate and Patrick Harrington was
2-for-3 with a run scored. Wiseman had
three hits with Norwood, Reynolds and Wiel with two apiece as well to lead the
Commodores.

Florida freshman right-hander Tommy Mace limited LSU to one earned run in seven innings Wednesday night as the Gators edged the Tigers, 4-3, in the second round of the SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

Florida freshman right-hander Tommy Mace limited LSU to one earned run in seven innings Wednesday night as the Gators edged the Tigers, 4-3, in the second round of the SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

With the game knotted at four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, LSU third baseman Jake Slaughter was hit by a pitch to propel the Tigers into the double elimination portion of the SEC Tournament with an 8-5 win against Mississippi State Tuesday night at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

With the game knotted at four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, LSU third baseman Jake Slaughter was hit by a pitch to propel the Tigers into the double elimination portion of the SEC Tournament with an 8-5 win against Mississippi State Tuesday night at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.